Epistle for November 1, 2002
Posted by: info <info@...>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Curt Scarborough, President FreeWay Foundation November 1, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In This Issue:
Previews from Dr. Curt
Sermon: Zephaniah 1:1-18
Bible Study: Meditations on Being Spirit-filled
Previews of Coming Attractions
by: Dr. Curt Scarborough
During November, 2002, "E-pistle" will present two of my complete expository sermon series from neighboring minor prophetic books in the Old Testament:
A 3-part series on Zephaniah
November 1 "Settled in Complacency" (1:1-18)
November 8 "Hidden in the Day of the Lord's Anger" (2:1-15)
November 15 "God's Faithful Remnant" (3:1-29)
A 2-part series on Haggai
November 22 "Consider Your Ways" (1:1-15)
November 29 "Like a Signet Ring" (2:1-23)
Also during November, the "Iron Sharpens Iron" group of men will meet for Bible study and prayer. This month's session will continue October's topic of "The Extra Blessings of Baptism." The "Iron Men" will meet Thursday, November 7, from 9:30 to 11:30. Visitors are welcome to sit in on these sessions.
This month's "E-pistle" will continue some of the notes used in the November 7th "Iron Sharpens Iron" study:
November 1 Meditations of Being Spirit-filled
November 8 Words Used in Acts to Describe Experiencing the Holy Spirit
November 15 Stir Up the Gift of God
November 22 The Promise . . . The Gift; "Baptism" in the Epistles
November 29 "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" Acts 19:2
Next "Iron" meeting: Thursday, December 12, 2002 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Heads up . . . pastors and counselors:
Earn your master's or doctoral degrees in Biblical Counseling or Spiritual Mentoring through distance education at Pillsbury Institute of Applied Christianity. Check our web-site: http://www.freewayfoundation.org
The Christian version of our highly effective K-12 violence prevention curriculum "Peacemaker" is now available for churches and Christian schools. Check our web-site, or contact me for more information: drcurt@freewayfoundation.org
Settled in Complacency
(Zephaniah 1:1-18)
I. Concentration: on the contents of this chapter
1. The author and the date of this book is identified, v. 1.
2. Judgment is pronounced on all creation, vv. 2 - 3.
3. Judgment is pronounced against Jewish religious leaders, vv. 4 - 7.
4. Judgment is pronounced against political leaders, vv. 8 - 9.
5. Judgment is pronounced against business leaders, vv. 10 - 11.
6. Judgment is pronounced against complacent unbelievers, vv. 12 - 13.
7. The Day of the Lord is prophesied to be a day of wrath, which is coming
quickly to devour the whole land, vv. 14 - 18.
II. Meditation: on the prophet Zephaniah
1. Zephaniah, whose name means "The Lord Has Hidden," was in the royal
lineage of King David, as seen in the listing of his genealogy traced back
four generations to the good king, Hezekiah, v. 1.
2. Zephaniah, therefore, was a relative of King Josiah, who reigned over the
southern kingdom of Judah from 640 to 609 B.C.
3. Zephaniah and King Josiah probably were friends and allies, both being
equally zealous for a return to the pure worship of God. (Zephaniah
was also a contemporary of the prophets Jeremiah and Nahum;
see Jeremiah 1:2; 22:11; Nahum 1:1.)
4. Since the fall of Nineveh (Assyria's capital) in 612 B.C. had not yet taken
place (Zechariah 2:13-15), Zephaniah's prophetic ministry occurred earlier,
during the height of Josiah's reforms, probably between 630 and 627 B.C.
(See II Kings 22:1-2; and II Chronicles 34:1-33.)
III. Revelation: on the spiritual implications of verse 12
1. When the great "Day of the Lord" comes, God will shine His searchlight to
discover every sinner and to reveal each sin . . . "I will search Jerusalem
with lamps."
2. God will punish those who are "settled in complacency" . . . those who are
hardened in their evil habits . . . self-satisfied and pleased with their present
condition and not interested in changing.
3. These wicked persons do not openly scoff at the things of God, but they say
in their heart, "The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil."
4. Such an attitude . . . thinking that God will not (perhaps cannot) do anything
. . . places God in the same category as powerless, false idols.
IV. Applications: as a Christian, I need to . . .
1. Like Zephaniah and King Josiah, be zealous to worship God in spirit and in truth.
2. Allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten my heart, to reveal my hidden sins, and to lead
me to repentance and confession.
3. Never become complacent and self-satisfied with my spiritual condition.
4. Realize that Almighty God is actively working in the world today.
Meditations on Being Spirit-filled
I. Born of the Spirit . . . Filled with the Spirit
1. There is a definite point in time when a person is saved (born-again), Acts 16:31.
Generally, a person can give witness to the specific events of this spiritual
transaction called the new birth, Romans 10:8-13.
2. A born-again person (one who is saved by grace through faith in Christ) receives
the Holy Spirit at the instant of his salvation, John 3:3, 5-8; Romans 8:9. A genuinely
saved person can be not filled with the Holy Spirit Acts 6:3; Ephesians 5:18.
3. There is a difference between being born of the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit.
Notice the Person of the Trinity in these examples:
(1) At salvation (new birth), the Holy Spirit baptizes a believer into the
body of Christ, I Corinthians 12:13; Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27. In
this case, the Holy Spirit performs the baptism into Christ (salvation)
making that person a part of the body of Christ, a member of the church,
in the general sense.
(2) At the filling, Christ baptizes a believer with the Holy Spirit, Matthew 3:11;
Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16. In this case, Christ
performs the baptism with the Holy Spirit (anointing with power, etc. )
4. Just as there is a definite point in time when a person is born again, so there is a definite
point in time when a person is "baptized" (filled) with the Holy Spirit. Generally, a
person can give witness to the specific events of that spiritual transaction, just as he can
give witness to his new birth experience.
Scriptural terminology for the baptism of the Holy Spirit include: "being filled with" . . .
"poured out" . . . "fallen upon" . . . "received" . . . "came upon."
(See detailed study on these terms elsewhere.)
II. Biblical examples of "having" the spirit, then later being "filled" with the Spirit
1. Jesus was conceived by the Spirit and lived a sinless life through the Spirit, yet He "received"
the Spirit's anointing when He was baptized by John the Baptist, Matthew 3:13-17, et.al.
2. The Disciples "received" the Holy Spirit when Jesus breathed on them Easter Sunday
night, John 20:21 . . . this was their initial new birth (salvation) experience which can occur
only through faith in the resurrected Christ, Romans 10:9. The Eleven were baptized in
the Spirit fifty days later on Pentecost, Acts 2:4.
3. In Samaria, Acts 8:14-17, and in Ephesus, Acts 19:4-6, persons were saved, then baptized in
water, and then filled with the Holy Spirit. This matches the order (sequence) Peter preached
in Acts 2:38. (Since we believe only in believer's baptism, these people who were baptized in
water already had been saved (born of the Spirit) . . . then later, they were filled with the Spirit.)
Occasionally, believers were baptized (filled) with the Spirit before water baptism,
but always Spirit-birth and Spirit-baptism are mentioned (Acts 9:17-18) or implied
(Acts 10:38-40, 43-48) as distinct and separate, although connected events.
4. Paul was saved on the Damascus Road, Acts 9:3-6, but he received the Holy Spirit's
filling at the hands of Ananias three days later, Acts 9:17.
III. why jesus baptizes (fills; anoints) believers with the holy spirit
1. To give divine power for witnessing and service, Acts 1:8; 4:31.
2. To bestow supernatural gifts, Acts 2:4; 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 19:6.
(See also I John 2:20, 27; Ephesians 1:15-21.)
IV. scriptural teaching on how a born-again person may be filled with the Spirit
1. Repent of sins (new birth through faith in Jesus) and confess Christ as Lord
(through water baptism), Acts 2:38.
2. Obey (surrender the will totally, renouncing all known sins), Acts 5:32.
3. Thirst (intensely desire for the fullness of the Spirit), John 7:37-39.
4. Ask (pray definitely for the Holy Spirit's filling), Luke 11:13.
5. Believe (in faith, receive the Holy Spirit's filling), Galatians 3:2, 5:14.
heart check: Is my attitude toward other Christian believers pleasing to the Lord?
1. Is a doctrine (belief) true because I have experienced it, and false because I have not experienced it?
2. Is a picture right because my church/denomination says it is correct, and wrong because my church/
denomination says it is incorrect?
3. What is the final authority for all my beliefs and practices? Experience? Tradition? My authority must
be only the Holy Bible, the infallible Scriptures, the Word of God.
4. What about persons and churches who are genuinely Christian, but who practice their faith in Jesus
Christ differently from me?
(1) Consider the words of Jesus, Mark 9:38-41.
(2) Consider the words of Gamaliel, Acts 5:38-39.
(3) Consider the words of Paul, Philippians 1:15-18.
For additional study: Compare John 4:13-14 (Christ's picture of being born of the Spirit) with
John 7:37-39 (Christ's picture of being baptized with the Spirit).